Lycanthrope One Half: The New and Better ? Curse
by Mr. Mushroom
Summary: Howdy! Chapter 4 is up! Happy Day! Read and review, for I update after 70 reviews! Thanks to the people who have waited for the update.
1. Flight of the Malletee

Author's Note: Well, here's my revised edition of the first chapter. I did my best to fix the paragraphs... Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Ranma ½... Rumiko Takahashi does.

Lycanthrope ½: The Other Curse

Chapter 1: Ranma meets Kobold

"Akane, you cooked THIS for dinner? Hey, what's with the look? All right, all right, I'll taste this... BLEEEAARGGHHHHH!!! Kami, Akane! What the hell did you put in this? Toxic waste? Raw sewage? Urk..." As the food/toxin spread out into his being, Ranma suddenly felt numb as a strange feeling came over him. His bones felt as if they were crystallizing, being encased with a hard shell of ice. Then, it felt as if the ice suddenly shattered, taking with it the weird feeling.

"Geez, Akane, what the hell was that shit? Boiled tree bark tasted better than that! Blech!"

Akane saw red, which in itself is never a good thing. With an angry cry of "Ranma no Baka!!!" Ranma was sent flying thru the roof, courtesy of Mallet Airlines (From as near as next block to as far as Australia, we'll get you there with the most amount of pain possible!). As the pig-tailed boy flew thru the air, he contemplated his engagement to that baka tomboy, who he was growing to hate more and more as the days passed. He was getting mighty tired of all the times he was yelled at, called a pervert, insulted, embarrassed, fed with shit that looked (and tasted) like radioactive sludge combined with raw sewage, and hit with that damned mallet. Especially of that damned mallet. While he was thinking, his thoughts were rudely interrupted when he caught sight of where he was going to land.

"Ah shit... A forest. Of all the crappy places to land."

Ranma quickly did a flip in the air, making it so that he would land feet- first. That made little difference, as fortunately, a large, thick bush broke his fall. Unfortunately, the bush was very thorny.

"Ouch... Stupid bush..."

Getting off the bush, he started to remove the prickly thorns, when the strange numbness returned, bringing with it a burning heat that seemingly roasted his bones. He bent over, heaving in pain. Then, as quickly as it came, the numbness disappeared, as did the smoldering fire in his bones.

"Unghh... I think I'm okay... Damned food."

Suddenly, he heard a low growl. He looked up and, to his surprise, saw a wolf slowly approach him.

"Shoo! Go away, you mangy dog. Bad enough that I'm covered in thorns and lost in this stupid forest, Kami knows where I am, and now you! Scat!"

The wolf only responded with a low growl. Suddenly, two more wolves appeared out of nowhere.

"Yipe! Damn wolves. Go away!"

This time, the first wolf lunged forward. Thankfully, Ranma's martial arts reflexes took over. He quickly dodged the wolf and started running. Though the wolves were technically trying to make a meal out of him, he didn't really want to kill them. So, he ran.

"Goddamned wolves..."

Meanwhile, back at the Tendo household...

"It's getting quite late, and Ranma's not back yet. I do hope the poor boy hasn't been hurt or anything." Kasumi looked skyward.

"Oh, come on, Sis. You're actually worried about that idiotic jerk? Don't worry; he'll come back when he gets hungry. Probably sometime tomorrow."

"I do hope you're right, Akane."

"Stop worrying. By the sound of your voice, you'd think Ranma was being chased by wolves or something..."

The eldest Tendo sister looked skywards and sighed. "Oh, Ranma..."

Unbeknownst to her, she was secretly being watched by her sister, the Ice Queen herself, Nabiki Tendo. "So, my sister's falling for that pig-tailed hunk, eh? Oh, well, join the club, sis. Most every gal in this whole damn city's falling for Ranma."

Kasumi finally looked away and with another sigh, headed for her bedroom. Nabiki stayed hidden until her sister had walked past, and then stared into the night sky herself. "Dammit, Ranma... Come back soon..."

Returning to our unfortunate hero...

Ranma looked behind him. The number of wolves chasing him had increased, from three to almost twenty-five. A silvery wolf with a scar across its eye seemed to be leading the pack. They were untiring, almost enjoying this chase. Ranma tried to detect any signs of fatigue, but there were none.

"Time for this chase to end." Said Ranma.

So saying, he stopped and grabbed at a branch above him. He quickly scrambled up the 20-foot tall tree, and got to the topmost branch in no time.

"Hahahahahaha! Stupid wolves! Can't climb up and get me, can ya?"

To his astonishment, the wolves, instead of circling the tree as he thought they would do, stopped at the base. What happened next both scared and shocked Ranma. The leader of the wolves hooked his paws onto the tree trunk and started climb the tree. The rest of the pack quickly followed. Their method of ascent reminded Ranma of kids climbing up a fruit tree.

"These ain't ordinary wolves... Damn."

Before the silver wolf could get any closer, Ranma jumped down the tree. Bad move. His feet hit the ground HARD. He felt and heard the bones in his foot crack. Before he had time to recuperate, the wolves jumped down after him. Having no choice, Ranma resumed running. Of course, it isn't exactly easy to run when the bones in your feet are cracked, as every step causes lots and lots of PAIN. Wincing, Ranma ran on. As he looked back, he noticed that the number of the wolves had increased. From twenty-five, they now numbered more than forty. Wolves were popping out of nowhere and joining in the chase. Too preoccupied with looking over his shoulder, Ranma failed to see that he was headed towards the edge of a gorge. Only when he stepped forward and found nothing underneath did he finally realize his mistake. Losing his balance, Ranma fell down, down, down...

"Ohhhhh.... My head..."

Ranma woke up, and immediately wished himself unconscious again. He was totally surrounded on all sides by wolves. The gorge was completely filled with wolves, and Ranma thought he could see even more wolves looking down up the edge. Even if he had had the strength to fight, the sheer number of wolves would quickly overpower him. Right now, though, Ranma was in extreme pain, due to his broken foot, hunger, and what he believed to be the onset of a moderate concussion. He was in no condition to fight. Then again, thought Ranma, if the wolves were intending to eat him, why was he still alive? He must have been out for a good thirty minutes, probably more. If so, why hadn't the wolves devoured him yet? Ranma groaned. Thinking about it only made his head hurt. His thoughts were suddenly interrupted by a low growl that snapped him back to reality. The silver wolf was staring at him and growling softly. Then, to Ranma's surprise, it stepped on his chest and sniffed him from head to toe. Then, it turned around and barked at the throng of wolves. They answered by barking in unison. The silver wolf nodded, and then uttered a long howl. What happened next scared the living hell out of Ranma. The silver wolf changed. His paws changed into huge, clawed, hairy hands, as his feet took on a more human shape. His chest flattened and formed some very well developed muscles. His arms and legs thickened. The silver wolf, or rather, werewolf, stood up on two legs, and spoke.

"Greetings. My name is Kobold, and, obviously, I am a werewolf. You are?"

"R-Ranma. Ranma Saotome."

"Ahh... Saotome... You come from Japan, no doubt? Hmm... About time we had a Brother over there."

"A B-Brother? What are you talking about?" Kobold looked at Ranma, and then shook his head and laughed.

"Oh, nothing, nothing. Can you get up on your own? Of course not, how stupid of me. By the way your feet are looking, the bones seem to be cracked or fractured... Didn't stop you from running for more than 25 kilometers, though. Extraordinary. You are in excellent shape. Well, are you going to lie down there all night or what?" He held out a hand. Ranma looked at it for a moment, and then hesitantly took it. As he got to his feet, the pain in his feet returned with a vengeance, and his head started to spin.

"Uhhh... my head..." Ranma muttered before he lost consciousness.

"Hmmm, apparently he's also got a concussion. And yet he was out for only fifteen minutes... Unbelievable. This boy is very extraordinary. With the proper training, he might even become as good as me. And yet, why were his feet broken from that little fall?" With that said, Kobold picked Ranma up, and then jumped out of the gorge. He then slung Ranma over his shoulder, and strode off into the forest, with the wolves following closely.

A/N: Well, hopefully I've satisfied your comments. Special thanks to DeusExMachina and the others who gave such nice, constructive reviews for my betterment... Oh, and to Unkind Fearful Leader... May mushrooms sprout forth from your eyes and ears, and may you awake to find a thousand itchy caterpillars on your body!!! Hehehehehehehehehe.... By the way, Doc Bogey, I did as you requested and changed the genre. So, from now on, I'm going to try and make this fic as funny and supernatural as possible... that means more werewolves and weirdness.


	2. WakeyWakey, Kiddo

A/N: Here's my second chapter! Sorry if I took so long! As always, read and review please!

Disclaimer: I don't own Ranma ½.

Lycanthrope ½: The Other Curse

Chapter 2: Explanations, explanations...

"Unhhhh..." Ranma awoke to the smell of something cooking. His vision was still fuzzy, and his head was pounding at a furious pace. He became aware of a stinging sensation when he tried to move his feet. The pain intensified as he tried to wriggle his toes. He looked at his feet and saw that they were bound up. Realizing that he could not stand, Ranma sat up and observed his surroundings. He was in a room. The walls were made out of wood and had animal skins on them. There were also skins on the floor; he was lying on one. The door opened and a well-built man with silver hair and a scar across his eye walked in, carrying an apple. He was wearing pants made out of something Ranma could not identify, and leather sandals. He wasn't wearing a shirt though.

"Here, have an apple. I take it that you are feeling better now?" The man asked.

"Uhh, yeah... thanks. With the exception of a headache, I feel fine. Kobold, right?" said Ranma as he wolfed (Hehehe...) down the apple.

"Yeah. So you recognize me in human form, eh?" said Kobold, grinning. "Not many people can do that, you know. It's not easy to spot a werewolf when he looks just like any ordinary guy. You amaze me, boy. By the way, how are your feet doing? I believe you cracked your feet jumping off that tree. Not a very high tree, though. So... "

"So what?" asked Ranma.

"So, there must have been something that caused your bones in your feet to weaken to such a point that a mere 20-foot jump can fracture them. I believe it was something you ate." Kobold looked at Ranma questioningly. "Think, kid. Was there anything you ate before you landed here that could have done such a thing? Witchcraft? Sorcery? A poisonous concoction perhaps?"

"Ugh... Last thing I remember eating was that sludge Akane cooked up..." answered Ranma.

"Akane? Would you mind telling me who this Akane girl is? Is she part witch? Does she possess any knowledge pertaining to sorcery?" asked Kobold eagerly.

"Uh.... No. She's an uncute, slow-moving, clumsy, so-called martial artist, who can't fight to save her life. She's also a terrible cook. God, the crap she creates... You know, she tried to make dinner for us just last month. The "beef stew's" smell alone was so disgusting that I nearly barfed. So, I pick up the bowl with the stew and pour the contents into a potted plant..."

"And then what?" said Kobold, grinning.

"And the damn plant suddenly burst into flame! I tried to put out the fire with some juice that she made. The "juice" not just put out the fire..."

"W-what else did it do?" Kobold was now chuckling.

"Damned juice melted the pot that contained the plant..."

"Melted the pot! AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!" Kobold was now laughing out loud.

"And burned a hole into the floor... Akane was so shocked that she spilled some juice, and it began to eat away at the table. Her dad panicked, and squeezed the egg roll he was about to eat with his chopsticks a bit too tightly... The egg roll exploded. Gave Mr. Tendo second-degree burns all over his face and hands."

"He got burned by an egg roll?" Kobold by this time was already rolling on the floor, hands clutching his sides.

"So Mr. Tendo reels back, screaming that his face was burning. By doing so, he tipped over the half-melted table. The food clattered onto the floor and started doing weird stuff. The sushi started crawling away, while the buns began to release a powerful stench, something like rotten egg mixed with cow turd. I tell Akane, Kami, what cookbook have you been using, The Mad Scientist's Culinary Delights? This, of course, pisses her off, and she pulls out that damned mallet and punts me sky-high. Lucky for me, I landed at Ucchan's restaurant."

"Ucchan?" Kobold asked.

"She's a great friend, and also the world's best okonomiyaki chef! Well, maybe next to her dad.... She's also one of my fiancées." Answered Ranma.

"Fiancées? As in more than one girl? Kid, your life's starting to get more and more confusing. Hell, next thing I know you'll be telling me you've got a Jusenkyo curse." Said Kobold jokingly.

"HUH??? How do you know about the Jusenkyo training grounds?" Ranma asked, surprise in his voice.

"Oy. You mean you DO have a curse? What do you turn into? A sumo wrestler? A samurai warrior? You're not a vampire, are you? Cause if you are, I'm going to have to kill you by cutting of all your limbs, Kobold questioned "No, wait, let me gues...Muscular, very gentlemanly... You turn into a girl, right?"

"Yeah. Hey! How'd you know? Do you have a curse too?" inquired Ranma.

"I have a curse, kid. But my curse is different than yours. Very different. You see, kid, I'm afflicted with lycanthropy." Kobold said, as a more serious look came over his face.

"Lycanthro-what?" Ranma asked.

"Lycanthropy, boy." Answered Kobold. "That means I'm a werewolf. Course, you already knew that, didn't you? And you've probably figured out that I'm no ordinary werewolf. Actually, kid, I'm a Brother-Wolf."

"A Brother-Wolf?" asked Ranma.

"Yeah. A Brother-Wolf is different from your ordinary werewolf. See, we have special skills that only we can do, like being able to transform from wolf to werewolf to human by will, and being able to control ourselves and not go wild and attack people. We are also capable of focusing our essence, or as you Japanese call it, our ki, into different kinds of attacks. There are millions of werewolves worldwide, but only a handful of Brother-Wolves. Cause the training to become a Brother-Wolf is long, hard, and rigorous. Very few werewolves are prepared to take the risk. Many of those who undergo the training don't survive. And the few who do become Brother-Wolves scatter the globe, continuing their training." Explained Kobold.

"You mean, it's like martial arts?" asked Ranma.

"Uhh... sure. I guess in a way it is kind of like martial arts. Why do you ask?" said Kobold.

"If it's martial arts, then, I've gotta know how it works! Then, maybe I can incorporate it into the Saotome style of Anything-Goes Martial Arts! Just think of the moves I could pull off! It'll be unbelievable!!!" said Ranma enthusiastically."

"You wanna learn Wolf-Style Martial Arts?" Kobold raised an eyebrow. "With your knack for the Art, you should be able to learn quickly. But...."

"But what? Is there a catch?" asked Ranma.

"See, thing is, we don't teach Wolf-Style to humans. You must be a werewolf to be able to go under training. And since you ain't a werewolf, I doubt it'll work out." Suddenly, Kobold's face brightened. "Oh, I just remembered! You don't like your curse, right?" Ranma nodded in agreement. "Well, you see, the curse of the Wolf, it sort of... nullifies any other curse you may have."

"You mean... no more turning into a girl?" asked Ranma.

"Yup. Of course, there will be a few reminders of your former curse. For example, what's your hair color when you turn into a girl?" Kobold asked.

"Red." Ranma replied.

"Then your wolf form will have reddish fur. It will also be slightly smaller, seeing as a girl, you're shorter than when you're a boy. Hey! You'll look like a red fox!" Kobold laughed.

"So what you're saying is, I won't turn into a girl anymore if I'm hit with cold water, but every full moon I'll turn into a werewolf and start attacking people?" said Ranma.

"Not if you become a Brother-Wolf. You'll have full control of your curse then. Still, I don't want you to be forced to turn into a werewolf... so I'll give you till tomorrow to give me your answer. You're gonna stay in bed the whole day." When Ranma started to object, Kobold held up his hand. "No excuses. You've got a concussion and you're staying in bed. Hell, you aren't even able to walk. So just lie there and think about my offer."

As Kobold started to walk out of the room, Ranma called him back.

"Hey, Kobold!" said Ranma.

"Yeah, what is it?" asked Kobold.

"In case I don't want to be a werewolf, what're you going to do to me?" asked Ranma.

Kobold chuckled. "We're gonna send you back home without any memory of what happened, or of anything you've seen or heard."

'Oh. And one other thing. Where exactly in the world am I? Doesn't look like I'm in Japan anymore." Said Ranma.

"You're in Russia. Guess that Akane girl is stronger than you thought. Oh, by the way, your food is coming along after a couple of minutes. Think about my offer, kid. We could use someone like you."

Kobold closed the door behind him, leaving Ranma with his thoughts....

A/N: Whew! Finally finished the second chapter. I'll be working on the third one soon enough, though it will take some time since a Teen Titans story idea has been flitting in and out of my thoughts, and I'm thinking if writing it... It's gonna be a horror/humor fic... Ah, well. We shall see. What happens, happens. This is Mr. Mushroom, good bye for now...


	3. The Girl, The Reason, and the Kid with t...

A/N: Heh… Here's the third chapter. The Teen Titans story got screwed… So, I'm focusing on this fic. It's getting repetitive but, read and review, please…

Disclaimer: I do not own Ranma ½, some VERY lucky people over in the Land of the Rising Sun do.

Lycanthrope ½: The New and Better (?) Curse

Chapter 3: The Girl, The Reason and the Kid with Fangs

Sniff Sniff "Kasumi's cooking… Delicious… I am so hungry… Thanks, Kasumi-chan." Ranma said.

"Umm… Hello? Are you awake? I've brought you your food." An unfamiliar female voice answered him.

Ranma slowly reopened his eyes, realizing that he had fallen asleep again after Kobold had left. Guess thinking about what he said really tired me out, thought Ranma. After all it is a big decision for me to make… He looked over to where the voice came from and saw a girl sitting on the floor beside him. His attention was quickly diverted from the girl to the very large platter of food beside the girl. Ranma quickly sat up and began to eat, while the girl watched him with quiet amusement, whacking him on the back from time to time when he ate too fast and started to choke. (A/N: Think Dita and Hibiki from Vandread. : P) Finally Ranma finished his meal.

"Hope you liked it. I cooked it myself!" said the girl.

"Umm… yeah. It was great! Thanks." Answered Ranma. Now that the food was out of the way, Ranma was able to study the girl a bit more. She looked young, around sixteen or so, and she had long emerald-green hair tied at the back with a loose ponytail. Ranma's gaze traveled downwards, and he noticed that she had quite an ample chest. They look bigger than Shampoo's, Ranma thought. Although it doesn't really show, Ranma isn't as naïve as we take him to be. Lost in thought, Ranma was quickly brought back to reality when the girl slapped him hard on the cheek.

"Quit staring at my chest, you pervert!" said the girl, slapping him again with one hand while bringing the other to cover her bosom.

"Oh! S-Sorry. You just reminded me of someone I knew back home. A Chinese Amazon with purplish hair. Pardon my language, but your boobs reminded me of her. She was cute, though. " Mused Ranma. "If she wasn't so damn set on killing me with those bonboris of hers when we first met, I might have liked her."

"Hmm… Purple hair, big boobs, a pair of bonboris, Chinese Amazon…Is the girl's name Shampoo? Has a grandmother named Cologne that hops around on a stick?" asked the girl.

"Yeah…Crazy old gal, too. Wickedly good when it comes to the Art, but in other matters- HEY! How'd you know about her? What's your name anyway?" replied Ranma.

"Me? My name's Chloe. I used to be a Chinese-Amazon until the day I…did something they didn't like and they cast me out. I was the best fighter in the village. When I left, the second best took my place as champ." Said the girl.

"Shampoo?" ventured Ranma.

"You guessed it. Of course, she still harbors a grudge against me." Said Chloe.

"Why?" asked Ranma, even though he was pretty sure why.

"Cause she could never beat me. I always bested her in everything. Heck, I remember one time…"

Flashback

(A rainy afternoon, at the Chinese Amazon village's courtyard)

"Aiyahh!" yelled a ten-year-old Shampoo as she furiously attacked the green-haired girl. Ten-year-old Chloe evaded the blows easily, then, somersaulting over Shampoo, grabbed her by the chin and flipped the girl over her head. Shampoo landed face down into the mud. As she tried to get up, a spinning kick from Chloe sent her reeling. Before she could retaliate, Chloe kicked her in the stomach, causing her to double over. Chloe then grabbed her by her sides, shoved her between her knees, lifted Shampoo onto her shoulders, and power-bombed her into the muddy ground. As Shampoo lay dazed on the ground, Chloe looked down on her, pity in her eyes.

"Forget it, Sham. You'll never beat me. Ever."

Chloe slowly walked away.

End Flashback

"But that didn't stop Shampoo. She challenged me every day. And I always beat her every day. She just didn't give up, until it got to the point it started to become annoying." Said Chloe.

"Yeah, I can sympathize with you there. I've got the same problem. There's this guy named Ryoga. He's always trying to beat me. Of course, he never succeeds…"

Flashback

(A rainy afternoon, at an empty lot)

"Arghhhhh!" yelled a ten-year-old Ryoga as he attacked the pig-tailed boy. Ten-year-old Ranma evaded the punch, then, crouching low, did a sweep kick that knocked Ryoga off his feet. As Ryoga struggled to get up, Ranma kicked him in the stomach, grabbed Ryoga's head in the crook of his arm, and gave Ryoga a stunner. Ryoga reeled backwards and then stood up straight, anger in his eyes. Ranma looked at Ryoga with an amused grin on his face, and then pushed Ryoga backwards with a single finger. Ryoga fell back down in the mud. Ranma looked down him and said with just a hint of pity in his voice:

"You'll never win, Ryoga. I'm way better than you. Always was, and always will be."

Ranma smirked, put his hands in his pockets, and walked away, whistling in the rain.

End Flashback

As Ranma and Chloe talked, unbeknownst to them, that same boy whom Ranma had just talked about beating, Ryoga Hibiki, was wandering in a forest, lost as usual. As night fell, and Ryoga was still nowhere near any point of civilization, he decided to make camp for the night. While he lighted the fire and took out a packet of noodles, he did not notice the dark, bat-shaped shadow crouched in the tree above him.

"A fine catch. He will make an excellent addition to the corps… Master will be so pleased with me…" The dark, bat-shaped shadow (from now on to be referred to as the DBSS) sneered.

Meanwhile…

Kobold walked into Ranma's room to find him and Chloe chatting amiably, well, make it arguing about the Art. He chuckled.

"A reverse spinning kick to the back of the head while your enemy is looking the other way? That's so… clichéd! Plus, there's always the chance that your enemy's got a thick skull, to cushion the blow!" said Chloe.

"Well, it's always worked for me!" retorted Ranma.

"Not good enough! Now, if you want to REALLY incapacitate your enemy, what you do is you give him a horizontal thrust into his collarbone! It cuts off his breathing and stops him in his tracks!' said Chloe.

"But isn't that a spy technique?" asked Ranma.

"Well… technically, yeah, but it is quite effective, so…" Chloe trailed off.

"AHA!" Said Ranma. "If you use those kinds of techniques, then you deviate from the normal teachings, which means that-"

"EHERM!" coughed Kobold, just enough to catch the attention of the two. "If you two are done with arguing, then maybe I can have a word with Ranma, alone?"

"Oh! Sorry, Sir." Chloe got up and left, taking the empty dishes with her.

Kobold sat down in front of Ranma.

"So, kid. Have you come to a decision yet, or did Chloe make you forget about it?" said Kobold, a smile on his face.

"Ah! Eh…well…eherm… Actually… she did." Ranma blushingly admits.

"Yeah… I thought so. Anyway, I didn't come here to ask you that. There's… something I forgot to tell you. Something important." A look of uncertainty passes over Kobold's face as he says this, but it disappears as quickly as it comes. "I think this will affect your decision greatly. You see kid, if you become a Brother Wolf, you also pledge to join us in a fight to purge the world of one of the most hated bloodlines ever to walk the Earth. The bloodline of Count Dracula. The Brotherhood of the Wolf has pledged itself to ridding the world of his evil. That was why Viktor Bloodfang and the eleven other Elders of the Moon created the Brotherhood 700 years ago. To fight his evil."

Ranma gave Kobold a questioning look. "But if Dracula's so evil, why didn't the Brotherhood just kill him then and there?"

"That's the thing, boy. See, Dracula… Evil like him is not easily purged. Also, the fact that none knew how to kill him didn't help."

"Why didn't you just use garlic or stakes or sunlight?" said Ranma.

"Ahh… Kid, that stuff only works on lesser vampires. Lesser vampires are spawned from Dracula. Their powers are just like Dracula's, only weakened about a thousand times. And all that stuff you said earlier can kill them. Unfortunately, Dracula is, contrary to popular myth, WAY stronger. Nothing works on him."

"Oh." Was all Ranma could say as Kobold exited the room, leaving Ranma alone in his thoughts.

Back at the Forest…

"Ho-hum…" Ryoga yawned as he lay down in his sleeping bag. "Ranma… I'll get you someday… Akane-san…" With these words, Ryoga zipped himself in and went to sleep. Up in the trees, watching him, the DBSS' sneer grew bigger.

"Perfect. Now, let me just fit my form to carry him."

The DBSS started to grow bigger until it was the size and relative weight of a motorcycle (and not the slim kind too, the big, hefty kind like those fat biker dudes in the biker movies use.) Of course, it was crouched on a branch that could only support the weight of a small DBSS so, inevitably…

SNAP

The DBSS slapped himself on the forehead before falling to the ground below.

THUD

The DBSS fell with a THUD beside Ryoga. The sound, of course, woke Ryoga up.

"What the he-

Before he could finish, he was knocked unconscious by a horizontal punch to his collarbone. The DBSS cracked his knuckles, and smiled.

"And the Master says Discovery Channel is useless."

The DBSS shoved Ryoga back into the sleeping bag and flew off with him into the night in the direction of…Transylvania. Unfortunately, the DBSS forgot to zip up the bag, and an unconscious Ryoga falls back down onto a large boulder.

THUD CRACK CRUMBLE

"Uh-oh." The DBSS grumbles. "He might have broken something. Not good. The Master wants his soldiers in tip-top shape." The DBSS swoops down into the trees and is shocked to find Ryoga, still knocked out, lying in the middle of a pile of rubble. "Woah… He cracked, no, PULVERIZED that rock without even trying! Master will really love this new recruit! Finally, the Master will commend me!" The DBSS stuffs Ryoga into the bag again, zips it up, and flies off into the direction of…Transylvania.

Back to Ranma…

"So…" said Kobold as he entered the room. It had already been a week since Ranma had landed there. Kobold had told him that if he refused their offer, they would let him stay until his feet had healed, and then he would be sent back, with no memory of what had occurred. "How are your feet doing?" asked Kobold.

"Ok, I guess. I can move my toes a little bit." Ranma winced as pain shot up his leg. "By the way, Kobold, I've come to a decision."

"You have? Very well. What is it?" said Kobold.

"Well…" Ranma took a deep breath. "I have decided to…"

A/N: Well, wasn't that a cliffhanger… what do you think he chose? A life within the shadows as a werewolf, or a return to the madness that was Nerima? You will find out in the next chapter. Or will you? Dum-dum-DUM! Thanks for the reviews! I really appreciate it!


	4. The Choice! Unexpected Happenings, and T...

Author's Note: A lot of people really want me to continue this… I'm overwhelmed… Sorry if I'm a bit late in updating it. The holiday season caught up with me. Oh, and I'm changing the genre yet again! Since there will be lots of different stuff in the later chapters, I'm making it general/supernatural. Is that okay? Pls. continue to read and review! Anyway, here's the fourth installment of…

Lycanthrope ½: The New and Better (?) Curse

Chapter 4: The Unexpected Choice, Ranma Cracks Up, and To Nerima and Back Again!

Disclaimer: I do not claim ownership of this excellent anime series. So there!

When we last left our pigtailed gender-changing martial artist…

"So…" said Kobold as he entered the room. It had already been a week since Ranma had landed there. Kobold had told him that if he refused their offer, they would let him stay until his feet had healed, and then he would be sent back, with no memory of what had occurred. "How are your feet doing?" asked Kobold.

"Ok, I guess. I can move my toes a little bit." Ranma winced as pain shot up his leg. "By the way, Kobold, I've come to a decision."

"You have? Very well. What is it?" said Kobold.

"Well…" Ranma took a deep breath. "I have decided to… well… I choose neither."

"What?" said Kobold, "What do you mean by that?"

"Well, you see, I don't want to return to Nerima… but I don't think I'm ready for the responsibilities that being a werewolf brings." Answered Ranma.

"So, if you do not wish to return, and you do not wish to be a werewolf-"

"Yet." Said Ranma.

"If you do not wish to be a werewolf yet, then what do you want?" said Kobold.

"I wish to live in peace somewhere… you know, make a fresh start. I'd like to travel when my feet are healed. You know, see the world…" said Ranma.

"You mean, you want to get as far away as possible from the people in Nerima." Said Kobold with a knowing look.

"Ummm… yeah. That's about it." Said Ranma sheepishly.

"Man, those guys must be scary, if you're THAT scared of them." Said Kobold.

"H-Hey! I'm not scared of them! It's just that having 3 girls chasing you around, each trying to get you married to her, an uncute tomboy for a fiancée who whacks you with a mallet all the time and a stupid, stick-waving idiot, a nearly blind Chinese duck-boy, and a crazy fanged boy all trying to kill you, add that to the various monsters, demons, perverts, pandas, gods, and meat-bun men, well…. It kinda gets on the nerves."

"Oh. Okay. Well, I can understand why you want to get away from them all. However, should you travel, and then decide that you want to be a werewolf, it will be hard for you to find this place, what with the enchantments and all. So, I suggest a hermit's life in the cabin right over the next ridge. That way, we can keep a close eye on you, you don't have to be worried about those Nerima people, and you can practice the Art all you want. I'll even send a sparring partner if you want one."

"Okay…"

"And don't worry. You'll always have friends here. Just don't go out during a full moon. Some guys from the pack tend to wander…and the full moon just drives 'em crazy, you know? Coz that's the only time they get full control over their powers. Other nights they're under my command, so there's no worry."

"Yeah. No problem."

"And if you do decide to be one of us, or if you ever get in trouble, we'll know how and where to find you." Said Kobold as he got up and left. "You know, I don't mind tellin' you that I was a bit disappointed with your answer. But if that's what you want…" Kobold closed the door behind him.

"Okay… I get to spar with werewolves…Great!" said Ranma. As he was pondering on what kind of moves he could expect to be facing, and what he could do to counter it, the door opened and Chloe walked in. She sat down beside Ranma and laid a hand on his foot. Ranma stiffened. A week with Chloe, and he still wasn't used to her touching him. Usually the touch of a girl meant trouble for Ranma back in Nerima. (You can see how bad his case has become…) Kobold had assigned Chloe to be Ranma's nurse (sort of… according to the rumors, Chloe had supposedly forced Kobold to make her Ranma's nurse…)

"Hey, Ranma! How's the foot today? Better?" said Chloe as she massaged his feet.

"Yeah… A little bit… I think that I'll be able toaaAAAAAAAUGHHHH! Easy there… That hurt. I'm tough, but not that tough. AUGHHHH! I said EASY! Man!" said Ranma as he continued to wince at the pain.

"Heh heh heh… I thought you were gonna be a man among men…" Chloe said teasingly. "Here you are screaming your head off over a broken foot."

"Ha ha ha. Very funny Chloe…" Ranma had been telling Chloe about life back at Nerima. He found it somewhat… relaxing to have someone listen to him for a change… He looked at Chloe, who was massaging his foot. She was pretty, he thought, maybe even beautiful. He gazed at her, spellbound. Chloe noticed him looking, smiled to herself, and…

Crack

"EEEEOOOOOWWWWWWW! What did you do that fooooooOOOOOOOHHH! OW!"

Crack

"YEOWCH! OUCH OUCH OUCH OUAaaaah…." Ranma sighed contentedly, before…

Crick Crack Crick

"OW!"

Now, let us see how things are turning out back at good ol' Nerima. With Ranma gone for a far longer period than he had ever been before, his fiancées (Read: Ukyo and Shampoo), as well as the newly formed AGSNSILWR (Association of Girls Secretly and Not-so-Secretly In Love With Ranma) were starting to worry. Many of them believed that it was Akane's fault, and a lynching party had in fact been organized and would have succeeded were it not for the efforts of Nabiki and Kasumi Tendo who, though admirers of Ranma themselves, were not in favor of a mob of women hanging their little sister ("The rope might get dirty."-Kasumi Tendo "Daddy might cut my allowance."- Nabiki Tendo) Even so, the most of the girls were worried sick about what had happened to Ranma, so they decided to meet and discuss the situation.

9:00 AM, AGSNSILWR Headquarters, Kuno Estate

"Are we all here?" asked Chairperson Kasumi Tendo. "Right. Now, we begin the very first AGSNSILWR meeting. Most of you here are rivals, and/or want to kill each other. However, we are forced to cooperate with one another seeing as how my sister Akane-"

"KILL HER!"

"FRY THE BH!"

"HANG HER!"

"QUIET!" A shout from Kasumi silenced the girls. "As I was saying, seeing as how my sister Akane has apparently sent Ranma to a place too far off to come back quickly, I believe we must find a way to contact him and see if he's alright."

"YEAH!"

"That's what we should do!"

"I hate to be a buzzkill, but, how are we gonna do that?' A query from Nabiki once again shut them up.

"Ehem. I believe I have an answer to that." Kodachi Kuno spoke up. "I took the liberty of planting a homing device on my Ranma a couple of days before that peasant girl sent him to God knows where. Sasuke!"

The trusty ninja servant came forward. In his hands was a remote control.

"Turn on the screen." Ordered Kodachi.

"Yes, Mistress." Sasuke complied and pressed a button. A screen popped out of the floor and turned on. A small red blip labeled "Ranma-sama" was flashing in a forest in…

"RUSSIA? WHAT THE HECK IS HE DOING IN RUSSIA?" screamed Kodachi.

"Woah. Guess Akane hit him harder than we thought…" said Nabiki.

"I must get there. Ranma could be lying in the forest, half-conscious, moaning my name…" said Kodachi.

Back to Ranma…

"Uhhhh….Ohhhhh….That part right there. Yeah… That's it… Mmmmm yeah…. Harder…harder…not that hard, not that HARD! OW! Yeesh…" said Ranma as Chloe continued to massage his feet. "How long will it take for me to completely heal?"

"Umm… You'll probably be fully healed in two to three days. Then I'll take you to your cabin, where you can train. Kobold says you'll be training with me and Jigo."

"Who's Jigo?' asked Ranma.

Author's Note: Well that ends chapter 4. I am SO sorry that it took so long. Anyway, you'll find out who Jigo is, and the moves he's going to be doin' next chapter. Once again, read and review. There's gonna be a fight scene in the next chapter. Don't worry, nothing too bloody… Well, see you in Chapter Five: The Sparring Partner and whatever happened to the Boy with the Fangs. Bye for now! Mr. Mushroom has left the building…


	5. The Monk & Return of the Kid w Fangs!

Author's Note: This is…chapter five. I'm going to make this chapter a little bit heavier than the rest, so watch out. Also, there will be fight scenes in this chapter so…as always, read and review people!

Chapter Five: The Sparring Partner, and the Return of the Kid with Fangs

"Jigo?" asked Ranma. "Who's Jigo?"

"Your new sparring partner. He will train you and try to toughen you up for when you finally decide to become a member of the pack. Of course-" said Chloe playfully as she runs a finger down the bridge of Ranma's nose, "I'll be there, watching your every move as you do those sexy katas…"

"Urk…" was all Ranma could say.

3 days later…

Knock knock.

The sound of the door woke Ranma up. Chloe's prediction was correct, and Ranma's feet were healed and ready for action. He sprang out of bed and got out of his room, to find Chloe letting in a middle-aged man wearing a brown leather jacket. (Think Chow Yun Fat in the movie "Bulletproof Monk") He had close-cropped hair, and exuded an aura of peace and tranquility.

"Hi, Jigo! Come on in and have breakfast with us!" said Chloe cheerfully.

"Later, Chloe. Where is Ranma Saotome?" said Jigo.

"Right here." Said Ranma, stepping forward.

"You're Ranma? Okay then, follow me." Jigo motioned Ranma outside.

"O-Ok…" said Ranma as he went out.

"I'll have breakfast ready when you get back." Said Chloe.

Ranma followed Jigo into the woods until at last they came to a clearing. Jigo stopped and motioned Ranma to come closer.

"All right. Kobold told me to teach you some stuff and get you back to fighting shape. So, I will begin by teaching you a technique I have found to be quite useful. Now, attack me." Said Jigo.

"What?" asked Ranma dumbfounded.

"Attack me. Are you deaf? Come on, slowpoke. Hit me with your best shot." Jigo taunted.

"Okay, whatever you say. Yaaaaah!" shouted Ranma as he aimed a lightning-fast punch at Jigo's face. To his surprise, Jigo dodged it easily.

"Is that all you've got? My grandmother's faster than you!" Jigo said, annoying Ranma. He launched a kick, aiming for Jigo's midsection. Jigo bent backwards almost parallel to the ground. (Think Matrix ) Jigo stood up. Ranma started a barrage of attacks, Jigo dodging and deflecting every punch and kick. Finally, Jigo caught Ranma's fist and bent it backward, eliciting a cry of pain from the pig-tailed martial artist. Jigo then grabbed Ranma's head and slammed it into the ground. He then stepped back and waited for Ranma to stand, which he did after about ten seconds.

"What the heck was that?" said Ranma.

"That was a technique known as 'Bullet Time', where the warrior raises his ki such that time slows down for him, enabling him to easily dodge the attacks made by his opponent. Let's see you do it." Answered Jigo.

"On you?" asked Ranma.

"Nah. On him." Jigo pointed behind Ranma. Ranma turned around to face a ninja with blazing eyes and a fanged mouth. The ninja was floating upside down. Ranma backed off quickly as the ninja righted himself and glared at Ranma.

"What is that? I know it's not human." Said Ranma.

"You're right. He's a Darkstalker. A skilled assassin, created by Dracula for round-the-clock protection. They can survive during the day, but are at their best at night. He moves and attacks at very high speeds, but if you can use the 'Bullet Time' technique, you can dodge his attacks easily." Said Jigo matter-of-factly.

The Darkstalker hissed. In a flash he was beside Ranma, giving him a kick that sent the boy flying. Before he even landed, the Darkstalker was behind him and was kicking him in another direction, this time into a tree. Ranma slammed into the tree, breaking the poor plant in half. Jigo strolled over to Ranma.

"I thought you were good, kid. Are you going to let him just kick you around like a soccer ball or are you going to use the technique?" Jigo asked Ranma.

Ranma stood up. "Nobody kicks me around like that and gets away unhurt." Ranma took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, his eyes closed. His battle aura flared up for a moment, and then settled down into a light-blue haze around him. He opened his eyes. Ranma looked at the Darkstalker.

"Come and get me."

The Darkstalker rushed forward and aimed a kick at Ranma's head. Ranma saw the kick coming in slow motion and dodged it easily. Confused, the Darkstalker started attacking Ranma from different directions, hoping to blindside him. Ranma blocked and evaded every move. Ranma then grabbed the evil ninja by the arm, focused his energy, and-

"KATCHU TENSHIN AMAGURIKEN!" The Darkstalker froze in place for twenty seconds, and then keeled over backwards.

"Well, I'll be an alley cat's uncle. He did it." Said Jigo in disbelief.

"So, is that all there is?" asked Ranma.

"Ummm… No. I still have to teach you the Six Shaolin Disciplines: Mighty Steel Leg, Iron Head, Iron Vest, Weight Vest, Hooked Leg, and Empty Hand. After teaching you, you will have to master them on your own. Afterwards, some basic Matrix-Fu, such as Bullet Stop and Lead Pipe Fighting. Then, a short discourse on melee, missile, and projectile weapons, and finally, we'll finish up with a quick lesson on Forest Magic and Nature Communication Skills." Replied Jigo.

"What a list. Can we have breakfast before that?" asked Ranma.

"Hmm… Let me see… Let's finish up Matrix-Fu first. You've already learned one, Bullet Time. Next one is Bullet Stop." Said Jigo as he gave a short whistle. A large group of small monkeys with war paint on their faces and carrying blowpipes suddenly appeared. Jigo pointed to himself and clicked his tongue. The monkeys immediately loaded their blowpipes with cactus needles and aimed it at Jigo. The monk (yes, he's a monk) snapped his fingers. The monkeys then fired the darts at him. As Ranma watched in amazement, time slowed down as the needles came closer to the monk, so slow the sharp projectiles seemed almost to freeze in place. Then Jigo gave a palms-down gesture, and all the needles fell to the ground.

"There. You see? It is quite easy. Now, you try it." Said Jigo. " Raise your ki level just as if you're doing Bullet Time, and then release it into the projectiles. If the amount of ki and your timing is right, the bullets or whatever should stop. Get it?"

"I think so." Ranma took a deep breath, and then exhaled slowly. "Ok. Let's do it." Jigo pointed to Ranma and gave the signal. The monkeys fired.

"EEEEEOOWWWCHHHHHHH!" Ranma's cries of pain echoed throughout the forest…

"Let me guess…" Ranma stood quivering as the points of more than five dozen needles penetrated into his flesh. "My timing was off…"

"Yes. It was. So, there's only one thing to do." Jigo snapped his fingers and the needles fell off. "Try it again." He gave the signal and the monkeys let off another volley…

"ARRRRGHHHHHHH!"

"Again."

"AAAAAAAAAAAGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

"Again."

"YOWWWWWWWW!"

"Concentrate. Focus your ki, then, release it. Time it so that the ki freezes the projectiles. Again."

Ranma took a deep breath… exhaled slowly… and then… "HA!"

The needles all shattered.

"Idiot. I told you to freeze it, not shatter it. If those needles were bombs, you would be dead by now. Again."

"All right… Sheesh… HA!"

He shattered the needles again.

"Ranma… control the amount of ki you are releasing. Strong enough to stop the needles but not so strong that you shatter them. Okay?"

"Okay… HAH!"

The needles froze in mid-air. Ranma stared in wonder. "Cool…"

"Ranma! Don't lose your fo-"

"YEOUCH!"

"-cus… Oy… Well, you've learned it, anyway… Now we just have to cover one last skill, and you'll have learned the basics of Matrix-Fu."

"What's that?"

CLANK Two lead piped fell from the sky. One onto Jigo's hand, the other on Ranma's.

"Lead Pipe Fighting."

"IS that all?" Ranma snickered. "I can do that!"

"Oh really?" said Kobold.

Meanwhile, at Castle Ordog, Transylvania…

The DBSS flew in thru a window and dropped the snoozing Ryoga onto the floor. It then approached what appeared to be a throne, with a figure sitting in it, hidden in the darkness. The DBSS bowed to it.

"Master… I bring you what I believe will be our strongest warrior yet…" said the DBSS.

"Our strongest warrior, you say?" answered the figure. The voice was deep, melodic, and had a heavy Transylvanian accent. "And just how can you say so?"

"I feel it, Master!" snickered the DBSS.

"Very well… Bring him to the our finest bedroom. I want him to be comfortable…"

"Yes, Master." The DBSS unzipped the sleeping bag. It passed its hand over Ryoga's eyes. They opened, but had a strange look in them, a glazed, hypnotized one. The figure sitting on the throne stood up and waved a hand. What seemed to be elemental particles appeared out of nowhere. They slowly coalesced into the distincy curves of the human feminine form, and soon three curvy women stood before the figure. He motioned to Ryoga.

"Take care of him, but don't kiss him…" The women giggled, lifted him to his feet and brought him out of the room.

Author's Note: ARGH! Sorry I took so-darn-long to update! I just got caught up in an unbelievable amount of schoolwork… Don't worry, though. I'm fixin' to find a lot of spare time…So the next chapters are gonna be coming soon!


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